Increase Offline Effectiveness With Online Content
by
Do you run advertising in offline publications?
Do you spend money on direct mail marketing?
Do you hand out business cards to potential clients?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this post is for you.
Let me start by telling you a quick story. I recently received a post card in the mail from a local real estate agency. The two pictured agents were trying to get me interested in some town homes for sale here in Ankeny.
In order for someone to contact them they only printed a phone number and a physical address for their office on the card. No web site address… no easy way for me to get more information. Sadly, I think they really mis-spent their money on this mailing, because I cannot imagine anyone in the demographic they were trying to sell to wanting to do anything other than look for more information online. That’s what I would have wanted to do.
And I would not have wanted to land directly on their corporate web site either. No, I would want to go directly to learn more information about these specific properties they were marketing to me.
Imagine if they had constructed either a mini-site, or even a sub-section on their existing site just to provide really great information about these properties. I could have learned about special financing, the qualities that make the neighborhood special, watched video of ducks peacefully floating by on the pond, looked at photos of the properties themselves and maybe even been taken on a virtual tour of the properties by one of the sales people who could have taken the time to build my trust long before I bothered to pick up my phone and call. Now that would have been effective!!
So, you spend time and money trying to get your products and services noticed… how can you use that offline message to bring people online? What details and useful information could you provide online to exponentially increase the power of your message? How can you craft your message in such a way as to encourage people to learn more… on their time… on their terms… online?
Next time you are planning a marketing project, give me a shout. We can work together to develop a plan (offline and online) that empowers your audience to understand all of the things they need to know to make an informed decision.
Technorati Tags: Offline marketing, online marketing, direct mail, mini sites, internet marketing, design
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Andy Brudtkuhl says:
Great commentary Chris. I don’t understand why all marketing copy does not come with a URL as an industry standard. I think it’s natural in this age of consumerism that most people refer to the web for initial research on anything they are buying. I research everything I buy on the web - although I usually purchase it there too.
I’ve seen the same ‘lack of website mentioned’ on many local commercials. I would say several local businesses have lost my potential business because they have not provided me with adequate information on the web.
Jun 26th, 2007at 1:11 pm
Chris Punke says:
Thanks for adding to the conversation, Andy!
I too have gone elsewhere to find what I am looking for because if I don’t find what I need the first place I look, a Google search is but a mouse click away!
Businesses need to keep that in mind EVERY time they spend a penny on marketing.
Hopefully we can help people understand the power of interaction via the web, and help them leverage that to give their customers what they need to make informed decisions.
Jun 26th, 2007at 3:22 pm
Andy Brudtkuhl says:
Yes we definitely need to. You would think in 2007 most companies would have figured that out. I guess that’s what we are here for.
Jun 26th, 2007at 5:49 pm